The movie critique portion of this review was written by my colleague Michele Arbir.
“Alright, you pesky Rabbit, hold ’em up? ” Yes, hold ’em up and remember Space Jam with Micheal Jordan is the only Space Jam.
Without a doubt, this movie is a classic. Okay, maybe it’s a little dated and its effects are lackluster for today’s standards but the effects are good for 1996. Michael Jordan’s performance is pretty darn good and the Looney Toons are as always funny and entertaining.
Swackhammer (Danny DeVito), an evil alien theme park owner, needs a new attraction at Moron Mountain. When his gang, the Nerdlucks, heads to Earth to kidnap Bugs Bunny (Billy West) and the Looney Tunes, Bugs challenges them to a basketball game to determine their fate. The aliens agree, but they steal the powers of NBA basketball players, including Larry Bird and Charles Barkley — so Bugs gets some help from superstar Michael Jordan.
This is a freaking awesome movie. First off, you’ve got the man himself, MJ. There is no other like him! Secondly, he’s in company with Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Porky Pig and all your favorite Looney Toons. Thirdly, Mr. Bill Murray shows up as himself making a stellar cameo. Finally, the soundtrack is absolutely awesome. I’ve always said a good soundtrack can make or break a movie and “Pump Up the Jam” by Technotronic definitely had us pumped going into the basketball challenge against the aliens.
Maybe it’s not today’s CGI and animation but the blend in 1996 of Micheal with the Looney Tunes for me was flawless.
Director and basketball fanatic Joe Pytka has had a spotty movie-making record but he pulled this one-off. Space Jam grossed $250 million at the Box Office. The writers even came up with some good wisecracks, as in their disses of Disney. (“A Mickey Mouse operation!”)
Space Jam is an entertaining and fun family movie. Kids are going to love it, my grandson sat for the whole movie and that says a lot. Heck, I loved this movie! For myself and my husband, we will forever be a “Micheal Jordan is the best” family, and the original will always be the ultimate Space Jam. “Th-th-that’s all, folks!”
Video Quality
Space Jam comes to 4K UHD Blu-Ray in a 2160p presentation in the original 1.85:1 aspect ratio that looks mighty pleasing to these eyes and serves as a solid upgrade for fans.. The most noticeable aspect of this presentation is the impeccable HDR10 color enhancement that seems like it was tailor made for this film. The movie is filled with bright colors within both the hand drawn animation and live action elements that pop off the screen. It should come as no surprise that the characters are given much more depth of color within the animation, but even the foliage and clothing in the live action elements are represented impeccably. Skin tones can occasionally push a little warm, but overall things look pleasing and overall natural in this department. The range of color alone makes this one a nice disc to show off the format.
The only elements where this transfer gets a little more uneven is in the dated blending of the live action and animated elements. When it comes to most of the live action elements and close-up shots, the lovely retention of the natural film grain that should be present on a release such as this is apparent. Grain is less abundant in the animated portions, but this has seemingly been a product of the way the film was created and not a problem of DNR. Composite shots can look a bit more out of place compared to the rest of the film, but they mostly fly by in motion and do not serve as a huge distraction. Detail and clarity are also amazingly strong with subtle details easily discernible in the background set design. There is no visible blooming with the white levels, and black levels are dark and deep with only the smallest amount of crush in spots. This disc is overall a substantial upgrade from the old Blu-Ray disc.
Audio Quality
This 4K UHD Blu-Ray disc comes with a very active Dolby Atmos soundtrack that gives an impressive amount of life to the world. The movie is very dialogue heavy, even during the basketball scenes, and clarity is never an issue. The track makes good use of all of the surround speakers, with fast and furious flourishes and varied locations adding a lot of subtle activity. When you are in the final lengthy showdown between the two teams, the roar of the crowd is all encompassing. The height channels are engaged very frequently such as in the trip through space and when ferocious dunks are raining down. The positioning of the sounds is never an issue, and the track delivers on the low end of the spectrum. The channels all maintain a distinct fidelity and separation so that everything is even more precise. The movie has a banger soundtrack that really fills the room throughout the movie. This is an excellent sounding experience from start to finish.
Special Features
- Audio Commentary: Stars Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck, director Joe Pytka, and voice actors Billy West and Dee Bradley Baker provide an entertaining if not incredibly insightful commentary track. The human element of the equation does provide some details about the production that are worthwhile, but the Looney bunch mostly act like a bunch of maroons. Worth a listen for the hardcore Looney Tunes fans.
- Seal’s “Fly Like An Eagle” Music Video: The four-minute video is provided here with some clips from the film interspersed.
- Monstars Anthem “Hit ‘Em High”: The five-minute music video is provided featuring the talents of B-Real, Coolio, Busta Rhymes, LL Cool J, and Method Man.
- Jammin’ with Bugs Bunny and Michael Jordan: A 23-minute featurette which explores the background of the characters from a historical perspective, offers interviews with the cast and creative team, showcases some behind-the-scenes footage that provides some insight into how they pulled off blending live action and animation so effectively and more. After a more promotional opening voiceover narration, this piece surprisingly gives some good information.
- Theatrical Trailer: The minute-long trailer is provided which does a nice job of teasing the film.
Final Thoughts
Despite what most people of a certain age might say, including myself, Space Jam is not actually a cinematic masterpiece. It does not need to be, though, as it is a heck of a lot of fun and merges the zany antics of Looney Tunes with the thrill of a sports film. The human element of the film is fun and self-aware, but the Looney Tunes themselves make this movie what it is by firing off joke after clever joke that will have you chuckling. This movie wants nothing more than to be genuinely entertaining to a mass audience, which it accomplishes. Warner Bros. Home Entertainment has done what I once thought was an unrealistic dream and given this generational classic a 4K UHD Blu-Ray with a top-notch A/V presentation and some legacy features. If you are a fan of the film, there is no better way to view this one. You owe it to your inner child to snag this one. Recommended
Space Jam is currently available to purchase on 4K UHD Blu-Ray and Digital.
Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the 4K UHD Blu-Ray.
Disclaimer: Warner Bros. Home Entertainment has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.
Dillon is most comfortable sitting around in a theatre all day watching both big budget and independent movies.
